Monarda plant named ‘Lavender Taffeta’

ABSTRACT

The new and distinct cultivar of ornamental cultivar of Bee Balm Monarda plant named ‘Lavender Taffeta’ has medium-height, winter hardy, dense, vigorous clumping habit, dark green glossy foliage that exhibits strong resistance to powdery mildew, and numerous large flower heads of dark lavender-purple-colored flowers creating excellent flower coverage. The lower petals have darker strong purplish-red spots, and each flower head is subtended by burgundy-colored bracts. The new plant is attractive and useful in the garden landscape as a specimen, en masse, or as a container plant.

Botanical classification: Monarda hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘Lavender Taffeta’.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES UNDER 37 CFR 1.77(B)(6)

The first non-enabling information of the new plant was made on Dec. 1,2021, in the form of photographs and a brief description on websitesoperated by Walters Gardens, Inc. and Proven Winners®, followed on Jun.8, 2022, as a photograph and brief description in the “Walters Gardens2022-2023 Catalog.” Walters Gardens, Inc and Proven Winners® obtainedthe plant and all information relating thereto, from the inventor. Thefirst sales of the new plant were on Jul. 11, 2022, by Walters Gardens,Inc. which obtained the plants and all information about the plants fromthe inventor. No plants of Monarda ‘Lavender Taffeta’ have been sold, inthis country or anywhere in the world, nor has any disclosure of the newplant been made more than one year prior to the filing date of thisapplication, and such sale or disclosure within one year was eitherderived directly or indirectly from the inventor and would therefore bea 35 U.S.C. § 102b exception.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the new and distinct cultivar of beebalm plant, botanically known as Monarda ‘Lavender Taffeta’, andhereinafter also referred to solely as the cultivar ‘Lavender Taffeta’or the “new plant”. The new plant was selected from cross on Jun. 22,2015, between ‘Bubblegum Blast’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 27,497 as the femaleparent and ‘Leading Lady Plum’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 26,447 as the maleparent at a hybridizing plot of a wholesale perennial nursery inZeeland, Mich., USA. The new plant was a single seedling selectionoriginally made in the summer of 2017 from the seeds that were sown inthe fall of 2015 and the plant was assigned the breeder code of 15-6-5through the subsequent trialing process. Further selection was completedin the research facility of a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland,Mich. in the summer of 2019.

The new plant has been asexually propagated first by division in thesummer of 2017 followed by shoot tip cuttings originally in 2019 at thesame nursery in the greenhouses in Zeeland, Mich., and the subsequentasexually propagated plants have been found to be stable, true to type,and identical to the original selection.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE PLANT

Monarda ‘Lavender Taffeta’ is unique from its parents and all other BeeBalm plants known to the inventors. The nearest comparison varietiesare: ‘Electric Neon Purple’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 34,512, ‘Leading LadyAmethyst’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 34,371, ‘Pardon My Lavender’ U.S. PlantPat. No. 28,770, and ‘Pardon My Lavender II’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 34,131.

‘Electric Neon Purple’ has bright fuchsia-purple flowers withoutspotting on the lower petal. ‘Leading Lady Lavender’ has a shorter habitwith flowers that are a light amethyst-purple. ‘Pardon My Lavender’ hasa smaller habit, lighter lavender-pink flowers without the darker spotson the lower petal, and without the anthocyanin on the bracts andfoliage. ‘Pardon My Lavender II’ has a shorter habit, lavender-purpleflowers and lacks the darker spots on the lower petal. The male parent,‘Leading Lady Plum’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 26,447, has a more compactshorter habit with flowers that are magenta-purple.

The female parent, ‘Bubblegum Blast’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 27,497 has aslightly smaller habit and hot pink flowers without the darker spots onthe lower petals. The male parent plant has a shorter habit and theflower color is more purplish color and less reddish.

The following are traits of Monarda ‘Lavender Taffeta’ that incombination distinguish it from all other bee balm known to theinventor:

-   -   1. Medium-height, winter-hardy, dense, vigorous, clumping habit;    -   2. Dark-green glossy leaves that are strongly resistant to        powdery mildew;    -   3. Large flower heads of dark, lavender-purple-colored flowers        for a long period in summer with excellent flower coverage;    -   4. Lower flower petal has darker spots of strong purplish-red;    -   5. Flower heads are subtended by burgundy-colored bracts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The photographs of the new plant demonstrate the unique traits of‘Lavender Taffeta’ and the overall appearance of two-year-old plants inthe full-sun, outdoor, research facility of a wholesale perennialnursery in Zeeland, Mich. The colors are as accurate as reasonablypossible with color reproductions. Variations in the ambient lightspectrum, source, intensity, and direction may cause the appearance ofminor variations in color.

FIG. 1 shows the new plant in flower in the research facility.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the flowers.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following descriptions and color references are based on the 2015edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except wherecommon dictionary terms are used. Monarda ‘Lavender Taffeta’ has notbeen observed under all possible environments. The phenotype may varyslightly with different growing environments such as temperature, light,fertility, soil pH, moisture, and maturity levels, but without anychange in the genotype. The following observations and size descriptionsare based on two-year-old plants in a display garden and one-year-oldplants grown in a partially shaded greenhouse at a nursery in Zeeland,Mich. with supplemental fertilizer and water as needed.

-   Botanical classification: Monarda hybrid including the species    didyma, bradburiana, and fistulosa;-   Parentage: The female parent is ‘Bubblegum Blast’ and the male    parent is ‘Leading Lady Plum’;-   Plant habit: Winter-hardy herbaceous perennial, compact, producing    several stems spreading by short rhizomes; to 66 cm tall at    flowering and 76 cm wide; flowering beginning early-summer in    Michigan and continuing for about 4 weeks;-   Propagation: Stem cuttings;-   Time to produce finished crop in 3.8-liter pots: About 8 to 10    weeks; vigorous rate of growth;-   Root: Fine, fibrous, and freely branching; color creamy white to tan    depending on soil type;-   Leaves: Simple; lanceolate; opposite; serrated; finely and    puberulent adaxial and abaxial; lustrous adaxial, matte below; acute    apex, rounded to cordate base; to about 100 mm long and about 53 mm    wide, decreasing distally, average about 88 mm long and 46 mm wide;-   Leaf color: Young expanding leaves between RHS 146A and RHS 137A on    adaxial surface, abaxial surface nearest RHS 146A; mature adaxial    leaves between RHS 139A and RHS NN137A and abaxial leaves between    RHS 137B and RHS NN137C;-   Foliage fragrance: Pleasant lemony;-   Veins: Pinnate; adaxial glabrous and minutely puberulent abaxial;    slightly sunken above and costate below;-   Vein color: Mature adaxial proximal midrib nearest RHS 195B, distal    midrib and primary veins nearest RHS N148D; mature abaxial proximal    midrib between RHS 145C and RHS 145D, primary veins near midrib    between RHS 145D and RHS 146D transitioning to nearest RHS 146B    distally; emerging adaxial midrib and primary veins nearest RHS 146D    with the proximal midrib heavily blushed with nearest RHS 187B,    emerging abaxial proximal midrib between RHS 146D and RHS 145C,    distal midrib and veins nearest RHS 146B;-   Petiole: Puberulent; slightly concavo-convex; to about 16 mm long    and 3 mm across, decreasing distally;-   Petiole color: Adaxial nearest RHS 196B with faint anthocyanin of    nearest 187B, abaxial center nearest RHS 145C, and margin nearest    RHS 137A;-   Stems: Quadrangular; puberulent; to about 63 cm long and 4 mm across    at base;-   Stem color: Basal portion nearest RHS 146D, distal portion nearest    RHS 146B with heavy anthocyanin blush to nearly solid nearest RHS    187B with high sun exposure;-   Branches: In middle and distal nodes; quadrangular; puberulent;    typically, three to six per main stem at initial flowering; about 2    mm across at base and to about 22 cm long;-   Branch color: Basal portion nearest RHS 146D, distal portion nearest    RHS 146B with heavy anthocyanin blush to nearly solid nearest RHS    187B with high sun exposure;-   Nodes: About 8 to 10 per stem;-   Node color: Nearest RHS 146C with thin bands of nearest RHS 187B    above and below when exposed to high sun exposure;-   Flowers: Single; labiate; actinomorphic; flowers arranged in    terminal verticillate head about 80 mm across and 35 mm tall,    opening from the center and progressing outwardly and downwardly;    individual flowers to about 41 mm long to exserted pistil; corolla    to about 37 mm long, 18 mm tall and 7 mm across; numerous, about 120    to 250 flowers per head; slightly arcuate distally; self-cleaning;-   Flower lasting: Individual flowers persisting about 5 days in    Michigan, head remains effective for 2 to 3 weeks;-   Flower period: Usually late June to late July; about four weeks;-   Flower fragrance: None observed;-   Flower attitude: Initial flowers upwardly to outwardly, outer    flowers outwardly to slightly drooping;-   Buds one to two days prior to opening: Narrowly clavate; tubular;    rounded apex; arcuate slightly downward in distal half; about 31 mm    long, about 3 mm across in the middle and about 4 mm tall;-   Bud color one to two days prior to opening: Dorsal portion nearest    RHS NN78C and ventral portion nearest RHS N74D with spots of nearest    RHS N79D;-   Petals: Bilabiate; fused in proximal 21 mm, split in two in about    the distal 16 mm; glabrous adaxial except pubescent in center 3 to 5    mm of lower lip, puberulent abaxial;-   Dorsal labium: Straight with slight reflex in distal 2 mm; folded    into a hood about 16 mm long from fusion and 3 mm across and 2 mm    tall just distal fusion;-   Ventral labium: About 18 mm long from fusion; comprising three    apical lobes including two side lobes about 1 mm long and 2 mm    across having rounded apex entire margin, and center lobe to about 5    mm long and 2 mm wide, folded upward about 90°, with emarginate apex    split in distal 0.5 mm, and entire margin; with dark spots of    typically 0.5 to 1 mm diameter across;-   Corolla tube color: Basal adaxial and abaxial 6 mm of nearest RHS    N155C, abaxial distal and dorsal portion of nearest RHS 72B, abaxial    distal ventral portion nearest RHS N74C; unchanged with age;-   Dorsal labium color: Adaxial distal portion nearest RHS 72B in young    flower and nearest RHS 77B in older flower; abaxial distal portion    nearest RHS N78A in young flower and nearest RHS 72B in older    flower;-   Ventral labium color: Adaxial young flower between RHS N78B and RHS    N78C with spots of nearest RHS 72A and adaxial mature flower nearest    RHS N78B with spots of nearest RHS 72A; abaxial distal free portion    of young flower nearest RHS N74C with spots of nearest RHS 72B, and    mature flower nearest RHS N74B with spots showing through from    adaxial side of nearest RHS 70A; adaxial and abaxial side lobes    nearest RHS 74C without spots; central lobe adaxial nearest RHS N74C    with middle having nearly overlapping spots of nearest RHS 72A, and    apex nearest RHS N74D, abaxial central lobe nearest RHS N74D;-   Floral bracts: Two sets, between 6 and 10 in each set subtending    flower head; proximal set ovate with narrowly acute apex, sessile    rounded base, and finely serrulate and micro-ciliolate margin, sides    reflexed; to about 50 mm long and 29 mm wide; distal set lanceolate    to linear with narrowly acute apex, sessile acuminate base, and    ciliolate margin; to about 19 mm long and 3 mm wide near base;-   Floral bract color: Proximal set adaxial variable, nearest RHS 139A    to solid nearest RHS N186C, abaxial nearest RHS 137A to nearest RHS    137B with moderate blush of nearest RHS N186C; distal set adaxial    and abaxial portion nearest RHS 146D with adaxial distal two-thirds    between RHS 187B and RHS 187C and distal two-thirds abaxial nearest    RHS N186C;-   Androecium: Two;    -   -   Filaments.—Two, to about 35 mm long by 0.3 mm diameter;            adnate to inner corolla tube in proximal 15 mm; color            proximally nearest RHS 76D, distally between RHS 72C and RHS            72D.        -   Anther.—Two; connate; oblong-elliptic, dorsifixed,            longitudinal; 3 mm by 1 mm; color nearest RHS N77B.        -   Pollen.—Abundant, elliptic to globose, less than 0.1 mm;            color between RHS 13B and RHS 13C.-   Gynoecium: One per flower; about 41 mm long at maturity, exserted;    -   -   Style.—About 39 mm by 0.3 mm; color base nearest RHS NN155D,            distal two-thirds nearest RHS N75D.        -   Stigma.—Split in two in the distal 1 mm, 0.2 mm in diameter;            color between RHS 77A and RHS 77B.        -   Ovary.—1.0 mm by 0.75 mm; color between RHS 143D and RHS            144B.        -   Calyx.—Tubular; consisting of five fused sepals; about 11 mm            long and 4 mm diameter at apex with calyx tube base about            1.5 mm diameter.-   Sepals: Five; apiculate apex; margin micro-serrulate; basal 9 mm    fused forming corolla tube; about 11 mm long and 0.5 mm across at    fusion; glabrous adaxial and abaxial;-   Sepal color: Adaxial and abaxial distal free portion nearest RHS    N186B; adaxial proximally nearest RHS 194D, distally nearest RHS    148C with darker veins nearest RHS 147A, abaxial basal portion    between RHS 145D and RHS 146D, transitioning in the central portion    to nearest RHS 147B, and distal portion nearest RHS 187B with darker    veins distally of nearest RHS 187A;-   Pedicel: Short, cylindrical; glabrous; about 1 mm long and 0.5 mm    diameter;-   Pedicel color: Nearest RHS 147C;-   Peduncle: Pubescent; stiff; strong; erect; hollow; quadrangular to    about 2.5 mm across and about 70 mm long just above last leaves;-   Peduncle color: Nearest RHS 146C;-   Fruit: Single nutlet, elliptical, about 1.0 mm long and 0.7 mm wide;    color nearest RHS 202A; Hardiness: the new plant grows best with    plenty of moisture and adequate drainage; hardy to at least from    USDA zone 4 through 8;-   Disease and pest resistance: Demonstrated moderate powdery mildew    resistance (Sphaerotheca pannosa var. rosa).

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of ornamental Bee Balm Monardaplant named ‘Lavender Taffeta’, as herein described and illustrated.